Request for Financial Assistance – LGBTQ Justice Work in Mtito Andei, Kenya (Dec. 2016) Mtito Andei, Kenya is a medium size city in Kenya strategically located half way between the two major cities of Nairobi, the capital, and Mombosa on the Indian Ocean Coast. The town is economically depressed, and since it is a major overnight truck stop on the Mombosa – Nairobi route, many women (and some men) resort to prostitution as the only option to support their families. The HIV rate among children in Mtito Andei is very high, and local churches often ostracize sex workers and LGBTQ people.

About two years ago, Metropolitan Community Church pastor Rev. Michael Kimindu relocated his ministry to Mtito Andei since he is originally from that area, and it was underserved in the area of religious and justice ministry. With the assistance of a small number of donors, 2 acres of land were purchased, and a gazebo type structure and a small home for Rev. Kimindu and his family were built.

Currently, Rev Kimindu is building strong alliances within the community with elementary school leaders, a new local university and several community leaders also concerned with the community’s issues. His vision includes some small scale agriculture and vocational training to provide alternatives for local residents, promoting safer sex among sex workers, addressing child abuse issues in local schools, and providing a spiritual home for those who are shunned by their churches. To leverage the property and his resources, Rev. Kimindu has formed a collaborative ministry with Metropolitan Community Churches, Global Justice Institute, Other Sheep and the Kimer-Kamba Cultural Centre.

Our most current step is constructing a small totally enclosed classroom building which will facilitate community meetings and training, and to provide a small office space for Rev. Kimindu along with a small kitchen. Most of the funds have been raised to construct the building, and with construction over the past three months, the building is almost complete!

Our next need is to raise the funds for supplies and equipment for this building since we have just about exhausted our existing funds to complete construction. Below is a cost estimate for variousbuilding equipping needs:

KENYA - A BRIEF HISTORY OFTHIS PROJECT

In partnership with Other Sheep and Rev. Michael Kimindu, we opened our first Global Justice satellite office in Mtito Andei, Kenya.

It's a community center and it is where Global Justice projects in Africa are centered out of. The primary purpose of it is to create safe space for both worship and education programming, we have a lot of programming around HIV and safety for those who trade sex for money and survival, and then also we have a time when we just sit down with other Faith leaders and talk about the Bible and what it does and does not say about homosexuality.

Recently we have run water, just last year we underwent a project to run water to create an economic development project in which we will be starting crops. We have, in response to the need for there to be someone on the property, and with the community center notbeing an enclosed building, we have built a place where Rev. Michael Kimindu, his wife and kids can live, and we’re currently undergoing a construction project to build a fully equipped school for both child and adult education.

The outreach is not only to the LGBT population but those that are affected by HIV and those engaged in sex work.

My last major update was this past January where I summarized my exciting visit to Kenya in November with MCC Church Elder and Global Justice Institute Executive Director Rev. Pat Bumgardner. We officially dedicated the complex in Mtito Andei, Kenya and some photos and a short video are immediately below this update.

Work has continued at the center since the beginning of the year. I have three areas to report on.

1) First, due to a generous gift from the Global Justice Institute which covered half the cost, water pipes and the infrastructure for electricity hook up to the land have been completed. Water is now flowing to the site albeit via a slow dribble (photo #1) due to a current draught, and hopefully the national power line will be extended soon for the hook up following the Kenyan President’s upcoming visit to the area.

2) A small house (photo #2) is almost complete on the property for Rev. Kimindu and his family to move into. We anticipate moving in within a month. Having Rev. Kimindu on site will both reduce his living expenses, enabling more funds for ministry, as well as making it easier for additional community activities on the property since Rev. Kimindu will no longer need to commute to the site.

May Kenya Meeting

3) Rev. Kimindu has kicked off a series of community conversations (photo #3) where a cross-section of the community in Mtito Andei will be participating in moderated discussions on life, marriage, death, education, integrity and other topics. Rev. Kimindu’s goal is to build a report including data that can be used in the future for securing program grants.

In addition to these three items, meetings are continuing with local sexual minorities, university personnel and others to grow community outreach possibilities at the location.

BIG NEWS: Rev. Kimindu and I will be together at the Metropolitan Community Churches’ tri-annual conference in early July in Victoria, Canada and leading a short workshop on how American church congregations and individuals can team with and support important work like this globally.

Official Opening of the Kimer-Kamba Cultural Centre

In my last update this summer, I shared that the first building of the Kimer-Kamba project was completed and in use. I also shared that the ongoing work can expanded and accelerated by forming partnerships with other groups to maximize resources and to increase usage of the facility.

The partners include the Global Justice Institute (GJI), Other Sheep – Africa, and Neema Metropolitan Community Church. Rev. Michael Kimindu has moved to Mtito Andei and is involved with all the different groups and is leading the overall effort.

In November, Rev. Elder Pat Bumgardner, Executive Director of the Global Justice Institute and I traveled to Kenya! There we officiated at the ribbon cutting and the grand official opening ceremony of the first building, even though the building was in use for a few prior months.

While in Mtito Andei, Rev Pat and I met held with local residents who serve on Rev. Kimindu’s GJI’s African satellite committee. A wide range of topics including sexual orientation and human rights, poverty, sex work and the needs of children were discussed. Mtito Andei and the new center, the first satellite location of the GJI, provides a rich opportunity to develop a partnership that truly engages the intersections of social justice work.

The opening ceremony and service was held 8 November with Neema MCC and about 75 local residents and special guests in attendance. Rev. Pat preached, officiated at the Holy Union of Rev. Michael and Robai, and baptized their infant twins, Milembe (Peace) and Uthasyo (Freedom). I had the honor of standing in as one of the godparents!

About 75 people filled the center for the 8 November opening service and dedication ceremony

A community lunch was served on the grounds following the opening ceremony

The land surrounding the Institute holds great potential for the future. A partnership to bring water and electricity to the site was negotiated, with the Global Justice Institute and myself each providing half the funding. This work is starting now, and will allow, among other things, the cultivation of some of the land, which will provide an opportunity for local community members, especially women engaged in sex for survival, to engage other means of support for their families.

Visiting the food garden at Matulani School, which will serve as a model for cultivation work on our property.

Members of the local committee standing with Rev Elder Pat Bumgardner and Rev Michael Kimindu (center) in front of the first Kimer-Kamba Cultural Centre building.

The land has great potential for food cultivation once water is available.

After Rev Pat departed, I also visited a new college campus that recently opened adjacent to the center, and two schools nearby to discuss some possible future teaming. (See photo from Matulani School which has been receiving stateside assistance from my initial partner Global Roots.)

As previously shared, 5% of gross billings from my consulting practice are donated to this ongoing work; please contact me for information on how you can make your tax-deductible contribution.